Thinking Out Loud
by LaynaPanda
Summary: While struggling to find a job for months, Lucy stumbled across a care-taking job which requires for her to take care of a mentally ill man named Natsu. Having a difficult time trying to have him accept her and trying to get used to everything, Lucy soon finds out the real Natsu and falls in love. —natsu&lucy
1. Chapter 1

**notes:** i saw a trailer to something similiar to this and i have decided that i need to step up my game so i'm making a new story dedicated to this plot. so enjoy. :)

* * *

"Honestly, Levy, it's been so long and I haven't gotten _one_ call back from anyone! Except for that one place but the manager was so _creepy_ that I couldn't accept it!" A blonde woman complained into her cellphone as she stared at the newspaper in front of her. "I think it's time for me to actually become a stripper."

" _Lu_ ," she could hear her best friend's annoyed tone of voice behind the phone. " _you can't just resort to that! I'm sure somebody will call you back. Just keep looking and I bet you will get lucky!"_ She tried to sound enthusiastic but Lucy only rolled her eyes. _"I have to go, now, but continue to look and I'm sure something will come to you! You're a bright girl, someone will be lucky to have somebody like you."_

"Yeah, that's why I haven't gotten a call back, yet." The blonde muttered out. "Anyways, I'll see you later." She said before ending the phone call.

Lucy groaned out loud and pressed her face into the cool table, the smell of newspaper filling her nostrils as she laid her head nearby.

Getting a job was not easy and she was becoming frustrated by the lack of calls from the jobs she all applied for. After being laid off by her other work, she had trouble finding another one and she was running very low on cash resulting a quest to find a new job. But alas, it's been almost two months and she's been jobless making her cry about it almost every night. Thank god her apartment was paid for before she got laid off, she was bound to be homeless by now if she didn't.

Grabbing the newspaper that laid in front of her, Lucy angrily stared at the small printed jobs as she knew that this was all bull to her.

Only if she could magically get herself a job...

"Ah, whatever!" The blonde threw the newspaper across her kitchen. "I'll stay jobless forever!" She watched how the papers scattered everywhere making her stare at the mess before she got up to go clean it.

If there was on thing she couldn't handle, it was living in a messy household. She was a clean freak that couldn't even bare letting a drop of water remain on her table.

Angrily picking up the scattered paper, Lucy suddenly stopped when she read an ad that popped out to her.

Picking up the piece of paper, Lucy stared at the ad before she rushed to get her phone. Once she had obtained her cellphone, she quickly dialed the number on the sheet as she felt her heart race in her chest.

— **X** —

"I got a job!" Lucy cried out into the phone making Levy gasp from the other end. "I'm going to be a care-taker from starting tomorrow!"

 _"A care-taker?"_ Levy sounded uneasy. _"Are you sure that is something you want to do? Do you even know what it's going to be like? Who the person is? What you have to do?"_

"Err, not really." Lucy said a bit sheepishly. "But they pay well and all I have to do is go to the house and take care of this guy with a mental illness. He's twenty-six, Levy, he's two years older than me! I'm sure he knows how to feed himself and such so how hard can this be?"

 _"Mental illness? Lu, you don't know_ what _you're putting yourself on!"_

"Oh, please, stop worrying! They're paying me thirty an hour!"

" _Lu—"_

"I have to go, Levy. I'll call you tomorrow!"

 _"Wait, Lu—!"_

And then the line went dead.

* * *

There was something Lucy always hated besides messy rooms and that was the wilderness. Lucy did not go well with the great outdoors because quite frankly, she was _terrifyed_ of snakes, bugs, and whatever lived in the forest. She was born and raised in the city and that is how she would like to be— _not_ in the middle of nowhere where it was easy for her to be murdered by a bear or even mugged by some stranger because honestly, _she is in the middle of nowhere!_

And that was where she was. In the outskirts of town in this huge house where nothing but trees surronded the place.

The person didn't even have a single neighbor! What was this person going to do when they get hurt? Have somebody rob them? Have a heart attack? _Gets murdered?_

Lucy felt a shiver run down her spine as she stared up at the house that seemed way too empty. She felt uneasy as she walked up to the door where leaves piled by the doorway.

She immediately started to scan the area for a broom as she felt nervous to just keep the leaves piling up and making a mess everywhere. Once she found one, she put down her purse and started to sweep the piles onto the ground where she was going to pick them up, later, if she could find a rake.

There was so much dirt and mold growing, Lucy just wanted to find a nice sunny day and do the entire house.

If the house looked like this on the outside, Lucy couldn't imagine what it might look like in the inside.

"Are you finished cleaning?" A voice from behind made her jump and turn around in alarm.

Sitting on the swing-couch that was right by the wall was a male dressed in black with dark hair, a cup of some-sort in his hand. He looked amused as he sipped on his hot drink.

"I—I'm sorry, I was just—"

"Cleaning. My house." He finished for her, a slight smile on his pale face. "You must be Lucy, the one that called me yesterday asking for the job."

Unable to form words, Lucy just nodded as she clutched the broom stick close to her, ready to attack if this man was prepared to attack as well.

"You'll be perfect for this job, then. Do you like cleaning?"

"P—pardon?"

"Do you like cleaning?" He repeated once more. "Since, I mean, you practically started sweeping my porch without even knocking on the door to see who is home or who the person is."

"Well..." Lucy flushed in embarrassment. "It's not like I love cleaning or anything it's just that I'm... a clean freak." She cringed as it sounded so odd coming out of her mouth. "I just can't stand it when there is a mess around."

"Huh," he took a pause to sip on his drink again. "then you're going to be perfect for this job." He stood up, Lucy noticing that he was much taller than he looked. He probably almost a foot taller than her as his long legs and torso stood high and proud. "Come with me."

"Y—yes sir." Lucy scurried to get her bag and follow him inside.

She eyed the swing-couch he was sitting on earlier as she passed by, the blonde waiting for the man in the dark clothing to open the door.

"Oh, yeah," he turned around to look at her making Lucy look up at him in worry. "I'm Zeref Dragneel," he paused to look at her reaction. "nice to meet you."

"L—Lucy Heartfillia," she returned the gesture. "pleasure is mine."

"Alright, I'm going to have to warn you... my house is not that pretty to look at. Especially since you told me you're some kind of clean freak—you might have a heart attack."

"I mean, it can't be that bad—"she laughed but when Zeref opened the door and swung it open, Lucy stopped whatever she was doing to gawk at the place.

There were empty pizza boxes in piles in the corner, clothing thrown here and there, the trash-can was so full to the point where trash was laying on the floor with flies flying around them, and Lucy swore she just saw some kind of pig run across the place.

All she could do was stand there in complete horror as she's never seen such a place so... _messy_. She was baffled and somewhat disgusted because the smell wasn't so pleasant, either.

"Told ya," he smiled as he walked ahead. "watch out for that," he pointed at the pile of dirty shoes as Lucy was about to step in. "be careful."

"Dear lord," Lucy muttered under her breath as she stepped inside the dirty place. "this place is... it's..."

"It's a dump, I know."

"Well, I wouldn't call it a dump—"

"Don't need to lie, Lucy," he chuckled. "I know it's a dump and I know you know it's a dump. I don't bother doing any sorts of cleaning nor does my brother so that's why I had to put that ad out for a care-taker job."

"Am I taking care of this house? Is that why you put it as a care-taker job?"

"Oh no," Zeref shook his head. "my brother, is upstairs or so. I actually need somebody to take care of him and do some house work since I'm getting very busy. I believe he is around your age?"

"He is two years older than me." Lucy informed making him nod his head.

"Oh, well, let me get you started." Zeref pulled the blonde to another room, where she assumed was the living room. "Natsu is not a baby, you don't have to feed him or bathe him because he's capable of doing that. He's a very nice guy once you get to know him but he cannot cook for life. Or do laundry. Or any household things for that matter so this is why this house is such a dump." He pointed at the mess around him. "So, this is where you come in. You cook for him and clean the house and just... take care of him because he can be a little... too much sometimes."

"Too much? What do you mean?"

"Well—"

"What the _fuck_ , Zeref!" A shout of anger echoed through the house making Lucy jump in her spot as she looked over at where the voice came from. She noticed a male with pink hair standing down the hall, sporting grey sweat-pants and a dirty white t-shirt, the look of anger plastered on his tan face. "I told you I don't need a _goddamn_ babysitter! Why the fuck are you treating me like a fucking baby?! I'm twenty-six you asshole! I can take care of myself!"

Suddenly something came flying right at them making Zeref quickly step in front of Lucy and catch the vase that was thrown at them.

"Now, Natsu—"

"Get her the hell out of here!" He shouted. "Before I make the _both_ of you regret stepping into this house!"

And with that, he stomped away making Lucy quiver in her spot as she heard Zeref let out a sigh.

Turning back around, the black-haired Dragneel gave Lucy a sheepish smile as the blonde's eyes started to widen.

"You see, my dear Natsu has a serious anger problem."

* * *

 **notes:** honestly, i had no idea what to portray nastu as bc i didn't want him to have a serious condition so i thought of something that could be fixed and that someone couldn't be really be able to tell so ta-da! anger issues.  
 **notes2:** so, uh, yeah. this is going to be a new story and i promise it'll be more interesting bc the first chap is always a little sneek peek and yeah.  
 **notes3:** review and tell me if you like it or not? should i continue?


	2. Chapter 2

Lucy was beyond terrified. She was scared that she was going to die that night and nobody will know where she went because she didn't even tell Levy where this place was or what time she was coming back so yes, she was going to die in the middle of nowhere because some guy had anger issues and practically hated her guts. Now, this is why she hated the wilderness because crazy people lived in the middle of nowhere.

And she willingly signed up to take care of somebody that threw a vase at her that day and _goddamn_ it, she should have listened to Levy.

Because ever since Zeref left for work, she was alone in a house where a man practically hated her and don't want her in the house. And not to mention that she was scared out of her mind because Natsu could come down anytime and just murder her and nobody would know because she was in the middle of nowhere.

" _Just cook some food and clean and don't even think about Natsu. Have fun!"_

Zeref's voice echoed in her mind and she cursed him for having to leave her with somebody with anger issues. He should have wrote it in the ad that she would be taking care of somebody who got angry easily because she wouldn't have taken the job.

Well, it wasn't that bad since Natsu hadn't come down ever since their first encounter and she did get most of the kitchen clean. And she did bake some cookies so the house smelt more like fresh cookies rather than dirt.

But the sounds of somebody coming down the stairs made her tense as she prepared for the outburst that was going to come out.

Oh, she should have written a will, first. Maybe he would give her a chance?

"Look," a voice from behind her made her slowly turn around. "I don't know what Zeref said to you or is paying you but really, I don't need a babysitter. I'm not a kid. I can do whatever I need to do to survive so could you just—what is that?" He immediately stopped to point at what Lucy was holding.

The blonde looked down to see he was pointing at a tray of cookies and swallowed thickly.

"T—they're cookies," she sounded so nervous. "chocolate chip... cookies." Her voice trailed off as she watched him give them a good long stare. "Would you... like some?"

"Yeah," he said while reaching for the plate. He grabbed one and bit into his, his eyes widening slightly as he tasted the baked good. "wow, this is... this is great."

"Thank you," Lucy flushed slightly. "I can also cook if you'll like." She offered making him finish the cookie as he gave her a long hard stare.

Lucy couldn't help but squirm uncomfortably in her spot as he just stared at her, the blonde feeling nervous all of a sudden as she was terrified of him throwing a fit.

"What can you cook?"

"Well... what would you like?"

"Uh," he hummed slightly. "I like anything, really. Why don't you make me your favorite dish?"

"Okay, I can do that."

"And after that, you can get the hell out of here." He turned around to start walking away making Lucy frown. "I don't need no goddamn babysitter." He muttered before he disappeared once more.

That Lucy to stand in her spot in fear as she didn't know who to listen to—Natsu or Zeref?

But she did find out a way to get on the good side of the pink-haired male and that was with food. If food was going to bring out his better side, she was going to win him over with her most famous dish of stir fried rice.

Rolling up her sleeves, Lucy prepared to get to work as she was determined to get Natsu to start warming up to her.

— **X** —

When Lucy was done cooking her famous dish, she was practically sweating puddles as she was nervous Natsu wasn't going to enjoy this dish as much as her other friends did. And she was slightly scared that she overdid some of the ingredients as she laid it in front of Natsu and nervously chewed on her nails.

She watched as he picked up his spoon and stab it into his rice before he lifted it up and shoved it into his mouth.

Lucy felt her legs shaking as she watched him chew and swallow as she knew if he didn't enjoy this, she was going to die that moment.

"This," he paused to swallow his food. "is good." He finally said making her let out a sigh of relief. "But I still don't want you here."

"I—I promise once I finish cleaning I will be out of here." Lucy begged as she felt a weight lift off her shoulders. "And maybe when the time comes, I can round up some dinner, too?" She squeaked her words out as she was nervous she said something wrong.

She didn't want to end up upsetting the male but it seemed like she didn't when he suddenly perked up at the sound of _dinner_.

"Fine," he said. "but after that, you're out of here, alright? Don't even bother coming back tomorrow." He gave her a look making her quickly nod and step back from him.

She allowed him to eat his food as she went back to her house duties, a slight smile appearing on her face as she realized that this may be a bit easier than she expected.

Now, the only hard part was cleaning this pigsty of a house because it took her two hours to clean the kitchen and she still had four more rooms to go.

Not to mention laundry—she was bound to be done by the next week.

— **X** —

It was only four in the afternoon when Lucy heard a crash from the other room. It made her jump in her spot and clutch the broom close to her chest as she heard a shout of anger coming from Natsu. A part of her screamed at her to run away and never look back but the other part of her told her to go check on him to make sure he was alright.

She was crazy to go check up on him because once she stepped foot into the room, it was a complete mess.

There was glass laying here and there, books were thrown off the shelves, and a couch was flipped over, Natsu standing in the middle of the room where the mess was.

"Where the fuck is it?!" He shouted making her jump in her spot. " _Where is it?_!" He turned around to glare at her. "Tell me!"

"W—what?" She squealed in fear as he took a step towards her.

"Where is my scarf?" He said slowly and menacingly. "It was right here," he pointed at where the coffee table was standing but now, on its side. "but it's gone and I demand to know where it is!" He threw a book her way making her shield herself and scream as it hit the wall behind her. "Tell me where it is or I'll—!" He walked towards her to have Lucy take a step back and bump into the wall.

Tears welled in her eyes as she looked up at the angered man, her insides turning painfully. "I—I—eeek!" She shut her eyes as he slammed his hands on the wall by her side. "It's in the drawer in the nightstand! I—I folded it and put it in there!" She pointed at the nightstand where Natsu craned his neck to look.

He pulled away from her and stomped over there, yanking the drawer open to grab his precious muffler.

"Don't _ever_ touch this," he spat out. "if you do, I'll break your hands so you _can't_ touch it."

And with that, he turned around and walked away from the room leaving Lucy shaking in her spot. Tears ran down her face as she just witnessed her first outburst besides from the one when she first met him with Zeref.

Slowly, Lucy slid down the wall as her legs started to give out on her, the blonde hugging herself close as a sob erupted out of her mouth.

That was the most terrifying thing she has ever encountered.

And she had a feeling this won't be the last.

— **X** —

It was seven in the afternoon and Natsu hasn't come done from his room ever since his outburst earlier in the day. Lucy wasn't complaining though, she didn't know what she would do if she had to see him or go through another moment of his anger rushing out because she was scared out of her mind. But she stayed because she promised Zeref and she also had to clean the house or she won't ever be able to live with herself.

She did make dinner, though, but she was too scared to even ask Natsu to come down so she just popped it in the oven to keep it warm for whenever he wanted it.

She was hoping he wouldn't come down before she left because she wouldn't be able to handle that anymore. She didn't have a problem with shouting but when it came to Natsu's level of anger, she was beyond terrified.

This probably was her last day as she didn't know if she would be able to deal with this, anymore.

All she could do was wait for Zeref as she sat at the clean kitchen table, her fingers drumming against the glass top as her leg bounced up and down underneath.

Her heart was racing as she didn't want Natsu to come down and throw a fit but she was also anxious to go home and relax as she spent all day cleaning.

Hearing the sound of the door unlocking, Lucy quickly stood up and went over to the doorway to greet Zeref who had a long day at work.

She popped her head down the hall where she watch Zeref take his shoes off and set his bag down. When he looked up, his jaw dropped as he realized the place was clean and he hasn't seen the place so clean in a very long time. His eyes finally landed on the blonde standing down the hall from him and a wide smile appeared on his face.

"You're amazing," he said as he walked over to her. "thank you so much, you don't realize how much this means to me."

"You're welcome," Lucy offered a slight smile. "I hope you had a good day."

"Long day." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "How was your day? Did you get the chance to talk to Natsu?"

Once she heard the name come out of his mouth, Lucy grimaced. Zeref noticed the reaction coming from the blonde and frowned.

"I'm guessing that you didn't?"

"No, I did. I baked some cookies and he liked them and I also cooked him lunch which he also liked." She waved her hands in the air making him smile slightly.

"Natsu does love food," he chuckled. "if you want to win him over, cook for him."

"Yes, I have realized that." She smiled softly. "But... I also realized that this job isn't for me."

At this, Zeref went completely silent as his smile dropped, the look of disappointment and worry crossing his features.

"I really did think I could do this. I thought I was capable of just cooking and cleaning but when Natsu came downstairs today and... and he burst, I was terrified. I cried for twenty minutes straight because I couldn't stop the tears from flowing out and I was shaking so much because I was _that scared_. I... I didn't think a scarf meant _that_ much to him." She rubbed the back of her head making Zeref eyes widen.

"You touched his scarf?"

"Yes, the white one with the scales—"

"Oh, Lucy, I should have mentioned this before I left." He sighed, covering his face with his hand. "Do not touch his muffler. No matter what condition."

"Could I ask why?" She leaned forward slightly making him sigh.

"Our father gave that to Natsu. That's the only thing he has in connection of dad and he loves it. He uses that as a reminder everyday to remember him so that's very precious to him." He ruffled his hair in frustration. "Natsu wasn't always like that. All angry and such. He was actually a very happy kid."

"What... what happened?"

"Our dad disappeared. And as the years went by without him and without unanswered questions, Natsu became angry. Angry at the world, angry at himself, and just angry that he couldn't do anything about it." Zeref looked down at the space between the two making Lucy's heart throb at the sad story. "I'm trying my best and I think he is, too. Forgive me for his actions for I know he doesn't mean to scare or hurt you." He offered a slight smile. "But I understand if this is too much for you, it is my fault for not mentioning this and just dumping it on you. Thank you for all you've done so far and I hope I see you again sometime again." He pulled out his wallet to count out a sum of money before handing it to the blonde.

Lucy could only stare at him in silence as she felt terrible for just leaving after hearing that.

If she's known why Natsu was so angry, she wouldn't have been so harsh with him.

She understood the feeling of not having a father around and she just wanted to fix everything. Have things the way it should be. Make Natsu happy again but, she knew she had no power or whatsoever to make that happen.

But she did have the power to help ease the pain.

"Zeref... I'll be back tomorrow."

At this, the black-haired male blinked in surprise, looking down at the blonde who had a determined look on her face.

"I... understand why Natsu is so angry. I know how it feels like to have unanswered questions and being angry at the world. If I've known earlier why he was being so angry and such, I would have been more understanding." Lucy rubbed the side of her arm as she looked down at the ground. Her cheeks were flushed slightly as she felt so exposed talking to somebody who she had just met tag day.

But she had a feeling she could trust this man as he was so kind-hearted and so warm. It was something she felt when Natsu was near even though he acted so cold towards.

She could feel his warmth.

"So... I'll be back tomorrow, okay? If that is okay with you."

Zeref could only blankly stare at the blonde in front of him, the emotions swirling inside him like never before. He was completely speechless since he's never met somebody like Lucy before.

He just wanted to cry.

A smile spread across his face as he nodded. "Yes. I would love for you to come back, Lucy."

Smiling right back, Lucy nodded as she readjusted her purse on her shoulder. "Well, I better be going. I'll be back tomorrow morning."

"Thank you, once again, Lucy. You really don't understand how much this means to me."

"No problem at all!" She waved him off as Zeref walked her towards door, watching her put her shoes on. "Have a good night. I made dinner for you guys, too. It's in the oven because I didn't want it to grow cold." She pointed to the kitchen where Zeref turned back to look.

When he turned his head back, he had tears in his eyes making Lucy's eyes widen.

"Thank you," he repeated once more. "have a safe drive back."

Lucy could only smile happily as she opened the door and left the house, Zeref watching from inside. He watched her get into her car and leave, the male finally letting out a sigh of some sort.

"Still hate her?" Zeref asked making Natsu shift from foot to foot from the top of the stairs.

He silently stared down at the doorway where his older brother stood, staring outside.

"I didn't hire a 'babysitter' for you." He spoke once more. "I hired somebody to help us get through this. Help us with cooking and cleaning and just somebody to bring some life into this house. It's been dead ever since dad disappeared and you know it, I know it, and I know she knows it, too. She's kind enough to drive all the way here, clean, and cook for us and you're _still_ being a brat about things because you think she's here to _babysit_ you. She's not here just for you, she's here for me, too." He turned around to throw a look at his brother who just stare at him. "And if you can't handle being around somebody who is here to help, then you're out of luck because there is not a lot of people out there who are willing to deal with that."

Natsu could only look down at his feet as he didn't know what to say to that, his hand clutching the railing tightly.

"She also made dinner so if you're done sulking, come down and eat."

And with that, he went down the stairs to eat a nice home-cooked meal with his brother for the first time in many years.

* * *

 **notes** : as I promised, the next chapter.

 **notes2** : I kind of feel like this is rushed but idk... what do you guys think? did you like this?

 **notes3** : leave another lovely review!


	3. Chapter 3

**notes:** hahaha I bet a lot of you hate me for disappearing for so long... sorry, sorry! you can kill me later.

* * *

"Are you _insane?_ Have you lost your marbles? I knew not having a job was going to break you. You're suicidal, actually, right? You know I'm here to talk if you need me, Lu."

Lucy could only roll her eyes as she listened to her best friend ramble on and on about how crazy and stupid she was for going back to a place where a guy could kill her so instantly and she could only sigh. She knew why Levy was so pressed and angry at her for taking the job _and_ going back the next day. If Levy was in her shoes, she would be the same way. In all honesty, she didn't even know herself why she was going back. Sure, she felt a little sympathy for the Dragneel's but is her life really less important than fixing this issue?

"Are you even listening to me? Do you understand your life could be in stake?"

"Levy," Lucy groaned out, setting her cup of tea down. "I _get_ it, I really do. But you have to realize that I'm doing a good deed and helping these people out. Zeref is actually very sweet."

"It doesn't _matter_! The other one is the one you should worry about! What if you accidentally touch something of his again and he snaps and next thing you know I'm planning a funeral for you!"

Lucy threw Levy a hard look making the blue-haired woman sigh, pressing her hand against her forehead.

"Okay, fine, have it your way but when he starts acting crazy and something ever happens don't tell me I didn't tell you so because I did!"

"Okay, Levy, I got it." The blonde got up to dump the remaining tea she had in her cup and put the empty cup into the sink. She grabbed her purse and sighed, giving the woman a slight smile. "I got to go. Have a good day and I'll call you when I'm on my way home."

"That is if you even make it home..." Levy muttered under her breath making Lucy throw her another look. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Have a good and _safe_ day at work."

Rolling her eyes for the millionth time, Lucy grabbed her keys and walked out the door leaving the small woman to huff and puff in frustration.

Honestly, how dumb is she?

.

.

.

Rolling up to the Dragneel house in the middle of nowhere once more, Lucy cut her engine and sat in her car for a second to look up at the large house in front of her. Millions of things ran through her head as she could hear Levy's voice screaming at her to turn around and go back before it was too late but then she saw someone come out of the house making her voice disappear. To her surprise, it was Natsu and she watched as he stood on the porch, the look of irritation still present on his face as if it never goes away.

She watched as he ran a hand through his odd-colored hair and then pull out a cigarette before lighting one and taking a huge drag.

The puff of smoke descended into the air above him and that's when she caught his eye making her entire body grow cold.

She quickly grabbed her things to come out the car to try and avoid looking like some creep staring at some guy smoking outside his house.

She awkwardly walked up towards the front door as she felt his eyes on her, sweat slowly pooling on her hairline.

"Uh, good morning." She muttered out receiving a grunt in response. "Is Zeref inside?"

She got another grunt and she finally looked up at him to see him not even paying attention to her. And then the smell hit her and her nose crinkled.

"Are you smoking pot?"

The question came out abrupt and it made her freeze, her eyes widening as she realized she said that out loud. To the guy who has anger issues. To the guy who could probably kill her in 0.3 seconds. To a guy she just met.

Natsu turned to look at her making her tense slightly, the hard look making it harder for her to stay calm.

"Mind your _fucking_ business." Was all he said making her frown and watch him take another drag before he threw the end away into the bush in front of him. He turned to walk into the house as he gave her a sharp look, disappearing into the house in front of her.

Lucy could only exhale loudly as she just felt like she was on death row or something.

Seriously? She just _had_ to ask.

"Lucy?" A voice came from the doorway making her look up and see a friendlier face. "What are you doing just standing there? Come on in!"

"Hi, good morning," she flushed slightly as she walked inside the house, Zeref closing the door behind her. "how are you?"

"I'm alright," he flashed a warm smile as he walked past her into the kitchen making her follow. "you want anything? There isn't much but we have muffins and bagels and such."

"It's okay, I ate before I came." The blonde offered a slight smile as she looked around the now clean kitchen. "You kept the place clean."

"Oh yeah," he chuckled as he started to clean his mess up. "you worked so hard on it, I didn't want to mess anything up. Thank you so much for that, by the way. You're a life saver."

Lucy finally relaxed as she started to feel welcome once more, watching how Zeref finished his coffee and put it in the skin, wiping the counter to ensure no spills were present.

She still didn't understand how these two were related. Natsu was so... angry and dark but Zeref was so nice and bright.

"Hey, I'm going to leave my credit card for you so do you mind going grocery shopping later?"

"Of course not!" Lucy smiled as Zeref pulled out a card out of his wallet to hand to her. "Anything in particular you want? Do you have a grocery list?"

"Nothing too specific. I need you to pick up some toilet paper and stuff like that and the list is right here," he pointed to his fridge to show her the small list of what he wanted. "You're the head of the house now so you buy whatever you like and cook whatever your heart desires. Natsu and I eat anything, we're not picky about anything so do whatever you like." He smiled warmly making her smile right back. "I have to head out and I hope today is a better day. Natsu seemed less... everywhere."

At the mention of Natsu, Lucy frowned slightly as she remembered what she saw before she came inside. Was it something she should bother mentioning? Did he even know Natsu smoked pot?

"Have a good day," she said softly making Zeref smile.

"You, too. Remember, head of the house!" He threw a finger into the air as he proceed to put his shoes on. "Bye Natsu!" He shouted towards the stairs before giving Lucy one last smile. "I'll be home around dinner time. Good luck," he winked before he walked out the door making her let out another sigh.

Luck is what she needed alright... Natsu was a handful for someone who kept to himself most of the time.

Once she watched Zeref's car drive away, she turned around and jumped when he saw Natsu standing at the foot of the stairs, her eyes widening and her body tensing up once more.

"Did you tell him?"

"E—excuse me?"

"Did you tell him about what you saw this morning," he hissed out in a irritated manner making her shake her head. "good. Don't." And with that, he turned around to go up the stairs but stopped when he heard Lucy's voice come out.

"Why? He's your brother and—"

"I'm going to tell you this again because it seems like you didn't hear me this morning," Natsu cut her off as he turned to give her a sharp look. "Mind. Your. Fucking. Business."

Lucy frowned as she watched him disappear up the stairs. Why did he have to be so rude? She wasn't trying to offend him or anything but he always took it the wrong way like she was shitting on his parade. But why did he even smoke pot? Did it help with his anger? Why did it matter if Zeref knew or not?

Sighing once more, Lucy turned around and walked back into the kitchen. She had a busy day ahead of herself before Zeref came back. Today, she was planning on cleaning the exterior of the house.

Hopefully Zeref comes home before she was murdered by his jackass of a brother.

.

.

.

With her hair up in a messy bun and sweat dripped down her face, Lucy looked up at the cleaner and neater house which sparkled and shined like a brand new home on the market. She should do this for a living—she enjoyed cleaning and looking at her work of art after a hard works day.

Pulling out her phone, she checked the time to notice it was a little past twelve making her sigh and look up at the house again.

She's been cleaning for four hours straight... and to her disappointment, she found a lot of roaches of pot scattered all over the house. She also had to go grocery shopping and Natsu is probably hungry, too.

And as if it was on cue, the door opened and Natsu came right out, the same irritated look on his face as if it was permanent.

"Hey," his gruff voice echoed through the yard. "I'm hungry. When are you going to cook lunch?"

Letting out a sigh, the blonde planted her hands on her hips. "I'll get to it after I go grocery shopping."

"You mean there's no food in the house?"

"No... that's why I said after I go grocery shopping."

"Fucking christ," he shouted out, pressing his hand against his face. "you're fucking useless."

"Excuse me?"

It must have been all the hard work she's been doing or the hot sun beating down on her skin but she was getting irritated, too. Useless? She was the most useful person in this household. She does everything. Natsu was probably the most useless as he just sleeps, eats, and stays locked up in his room. She barely saw him and every time they had an encounter, he just was so rude and she was getting tired of it.

She'll probably regret this conversation later when she's dead but right now, she didn't care.

"I'm probably the most useful person here as I cook, clean, and do your dirty work for you while you smoke pot and stay locked up in your room. And if you're going to smoke and not have your brother know, the least you can do it not throw the roaches around the yard. I have a whole bag full of it and you're just disgusting for littering that everywhere."

"I told you to mind your fucking business!"

"I am!" She shouted right back catching her by surprise, too. "But it's hard when you flaunt your business everywhere!"

Natsu looked surprise as she was yelling right back at him and in all honesty, she was surprise, too.

"I'm going grocery shopping," she clicked her tongue in disapproval, walking towards the front door. A part of her wanted to just turn around and walk far away from him but she had to go inside to grab her purse and that grocery list. She felt his heated stare on her the entire time, brushing past him to open the door but she was stopped when she felt his rough hand grab her and shove her to the wall making her gasp out in surprise.

 _"Don't_ ," he hissed out. " _ever_ talk to me like that. I'll _ruin_ you."

Lucy felt her heart jump out of her throat as she stared right into his hard bright eyes, her eyes wide and her entire body cold. His face was right in hers and if she could, she could just shove him aside and hop into her car and never look back.

But she was stronger than this and she couldn't be afraid of him forever. It was the second day and honestly, she couldn't deal with it.

"Then _ruin_ me," she hissed right back out, pressing her hand against his chest to push him away. "I'm going grocery shopping."

Pushing past him once more, she made it inside the house this time and she rushed to grab her purse and the grocery list from the fridge to turn around to have Natsu standing by the door. This time, he didn't say anything as he went up the stairs, the blonde watching how he disappeared into his room once more with a loud slam of his door.

How did that thing even withstand all that slamming?

Grabbing her keys and going out the door, Lucy rushed to her car to let out the breath she didn't know she was holding. And just like that, the tears started to fall and a sob flew out of her mouth as her entire body trembled in fear.

"I can't do this," she whimpered out, pressing her hands against her face. "I can't handle this."

Looking up at the house she just cleaned, Lucy let the tears stream down her face. She loved Zeref, he was so nice but she couldn't deal with Natsu's attitude and anger anymore because once he puts his hands on her, it is over. And she didn't want to stay until that day came.

Digging into her purse, she pulled her cellphone out to send Zeref a text but just like that, he sent her a text making her stop and stare.

 _How are things? I hope you are doing okay! I'm going to bring home some dinner for all of us so just worry about lunch! BTW do you like cats? I found this super cute cat and it reminded me of you and I'm going to bring this cat home. Did you know cats can be blue? LOL_

Lucy let out a sigh and a small smile crawled up her lips.

She couldn't let Zeref down... he was counting on her to stay strong and keep up with his hectic life.

Punching into a quick answer, Lucy turned her car on and drove towards the nearest grocery store.

"I can do this."

 _Everything is great. Blue cats seem a little... weird. See you tonight._

* * *

It was a little past six when Zeref's car pulled up and Lucy was quick to get to her feet and go to the door. She hasn't seen or talked to Natsu since their little heated match and she was pretty grateful that he kept to himself. Even when she came home and made food, he was quick to grab it without seeing or talking to her when she stepped outside for a second.

Opening the door and seeing a friendly face, Lucy threw herself on the man in relief. Zeref fell back slightly but he caught himself, looking down at the blonde who held onto him as if he was her lifeline.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes," Lucy let out a sigh. "I'm just glad to see you."

Lucy pulled away and smiled at the man who smiled right back, adjusting the bag and box he held. "Glad to see you, too. Alrighty, let get inside and eat! I brought home Mexican." He gave a grin making her follow him inside. "Natsu! I'm home, get down here! I have food and a present for you!" he shouted as soon as he got inside making Lucy look up at the stairs in worry.

She really didn't want to see or talk to him again but she couldn't avoid him forever. Especially in his own home.

She listened to him coming down the stairs and just decided to keep her eyes casted down as she pulled the to-go boxes out of the plastic bag to prepare dinner. She tried to just keep her eyes on the happier Dragneel, offering a smile as he sent her a reassuring one.

"What?" His gruff voice was enough to make her smile drop.

She felt his heated glare once more and she let out a sigh.

"Look what I got you," Zeref sounded giddy, putting the box up on the counter to push towards the male. "open it."

"What is it?"

"Open the box," the older brother sighed as he watched Natsu eye him suspiciously before stepping forward and slowly opening the box.

Lucy only looked to see his reaction but his facial expression didn't change as he stared down at the item in the box.

"A fucking cat?" He sounded offended. "You got me a fucking cat?"

"Not just a cat," Zeref offered a smile as he reached in and pulled the odd-colored cat out. "it's a therapeutic cat. His name is Happy and I got him for you."

"I don't need a goddamn animal," Natsu hissed out, his eyebrow furrowed. "take that back."

"No," Zeref sighed as he put the cat down. "he is part of the family, now."

Natsu looked disgusted, walking over to Lucy to grab a box that was in front of her which made her flinch. He shot her a look and scoffed, grabbing one of the boxes and a fork before turning around and walking away once more. Once they heard that slam of his bedroom door again, the two looked at one another.

Lucy offered Zeref a reassuring smile but he could only offered a small one back, pulling Happy down to the ground and taking the box off the counter.

"I tried," he shrugged as he went on over to where she was to grab the other to-go box to sit down. "well, let's just eat. How was your day? I noticed you cleaned outside," he chuckled as Lucy flushed. "what is with you and cleaning? Like a secret fetish?"

Poking at her rice, Lucy laughed slightly. "No, I just don't like when things are messy. I prefer when things are neat and clean."

Zeref could only smirk as he ate his food, pointing his plastic fork her way as he raised a brow. "You're like, a perfect wife. You cook and clean and you're very beautiful," he commented making her cheeks flush once more. "Oh, sorry," he grimaced. "I hope your significant other doesn't take offense to that comment."

"I don't have anyone," she muttered as she put a spoonful of rice into her mouth.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm... not in a relationship." She blushed once more, looking up at Zeref who gave her a surprised look. "What?"

"No, I just—" he chuckled. "I'm just a little surprised, that's all."

"Why?" She felt the corners of her mouth start to curl up.

"Because... you're a wife," he smiled right back. "people are crazy to not see how great you are."

Looking up at the dark-haired Dragneel, Lucy couldn't help but blush and smile down at her plate, her stomach doing all sorts of flips.

"Thanks... you're pretty great, too."

"Just pretty great?" He teased making her giggle.

"Alright, you're great."

"That's what I thought," he snickered before he looked down to see the small kitten mewing up at him. He reached down and picked him up, setting him back up on the counter. "welcome to the family, little guy." He whispered, offering him a small piece of fish from his taco as Happy happily ate the food.

Lucy could only watch the scene as she smiled once more, silently eating her dinner as she realized this isn't so bad. Well, only when Zeref is around. She didn't know about Natsu... but she was determined to make it happen.

She was going to pull through and one day, maybe just one day, he'll see what a great person she was, too.

A perfect wife.

* * *

"Natsu... please..." Lucy whimpered out as the male held her down, his rough hands keep her arms pinned above her head. His grunts and groans filled her ear and she let out a cry of her own as her body trembled in bliss.

Looking up at the sweaty man on top of her, she noticed that his facial expression was softer and much more relaxed than his normal expression. And she liked it a lot more.

"Natsu!"

Leaning down to suck on her pale shoulder, Lucy moaned against his. She felt her neck and shoulders pulsing with every love mark her gave her, her legs trembling as he trusted into her so hard and _so_ good she felt like she was going to break.

Soon she felt his hands slip from her wrist to grab her hands, interlocking their fingers for her to open her eyes and look up at the man who looked right down at her.

She felt her stomach doing all sorts of summersaults and the butterflies seemed to escaped somehow because right now, Natsu Dragneel was inside of her and she was enjoying it.

Throwing her head back, she let out a scream and just like that, everything went black.

"Lucy!"

Opening her eyes and squinting into the darkness, Lucy felt her entire body shiver as sweat drenched her from her head to her toes. She looked around to notice that she was in her bedroom and not on top of Natsu riding him until the morning.

"Lucy," she heard again and she looked up to see an irritated looking Levy. Her hair was everywhere and she stood in front of her bed, her arms crossed against her chest. "were you having a bad dream or something? I came in here because you kept making noise and I tried waking you but Jesus Christ you are one heavy sleeper."

"W—what?"

"Were you having a bad dream?"

"Dream?" She echoed until she remembered her erotic dream she had making her blush. "Uh y—yeah, sorry. Did I wake you?"

"No shit," Levy sighed. "are you okay? Do you need to talk about it?"

"No," the blonde shook her head, sitting up. "no, no. It's okay. Uh, sorry, you can go back to bed." She offered a sheepish smile making Levy sigh again. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Lu." She said before turning around and leaving her bedroom to go back to own bed.

That left Lucy to sit by herself, millions of questions running through her mind like what the hell was that dream about? An erotic dream featuring the guy who she hates and pretty much hates her, too? Why in the world was she having a wet dream about _Natsu Dragneel_? But good god, why was he so good in bed?

Lucy felt her cheeks warm up and she shook her head, giving her cheeks a quick slap to wake herself up.

But seriously... Natsu Dragneel?

"What the hell."

* * *

 **notes:** okay, now you can kill me. send me as much death treats you'll like lolol I'm sorry. I got super busy and then I got a boyfriend and then he dumped me to go into the military and move to fuckin Kansas and I'm going to college and uh yeah! tell me how you spent this year and a half :) I love you all.


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